ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES VOL. 2

In the albums compiled here, Ponty's music is, as usual, full of resources that you can see coming for a good while before they reach you, but still, when they do so, they really get you. We can hear, e.g., the enveloping arpeggio by the electric guitar setting mood and ambiance for what's coming, the wha-wha processed funky bass emulating a duck-like excited voice, and the sensible legato on the electric violin, house brand of the artist. Let's see and compare:

CD 1 "A Taste for Passion": A step back from Ponty's 'classic period' 1975-78, but, still so, a classy & catchy jazz-fusion effort, even when turned milder than one might desire.

CD 2 "Jean-Luc Ponty Live": Great live performance, reflecting the arc of studio releases that gave Ponty's career its greatest momentum, from "Aurora" to "Cosmic Messenger".

CD 3 "Civilized Evil": A certain tecno twist crept in at this point (machines were taking over the world by then), but, at least, the bass lines ceased to be so overtly funky.

CD 4 "Mystical Adventures": Better, yet with some tecno relapse. Nice soloing by Jean-Luc, including his graceful flamenco touch.

CD 5 "Individual Choice": Rather run out of ideas, to my taste at least, but still listenable.